Vacuum cleaner



Sept. 10, 1940. c. l.. BROWN. JR

VACUUM CLEANER Filed May l2, 1938 n ww N5 ww kw km f/ A iiiiiiii Jsk Nm. NN M INVENTOR. BY M of Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES VACUUM CLEANER Charles L. Brown, Jr., Stamford, Conn., as-

` signor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del.,

a corporation of Delaware Application May 12, 193s, serial 10.207,53

6 Claims.

My invention relates to vacuum vcleaners and more particularly to vacuum cleaners oi the type having a cleaning tool connected to a cleaner unit by a ilexible hose.

In vacuum cleaners of this type, the cleaner unit is customarily moved along the floor by pulling on the exible hose. desired to move the cleaning unit from one room to another or when moving it a relatively great distance, it is desirable to lift the cleaner unit and carry it.'

In accordance with my invention an improved handle is provided for carrying the cleaner unit which is secured to the cleaner unit with a iixed pivot at one end and` a sliding pivot at the other end.

My invention also contemplates means lfor securing the handle to the cleaner unit which permits its ready removal and assembly. The f securing means for the handle are covered by removable covers.

What I consider to be novel and my invention may be better understood by reference to the following specification and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing; in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner incorporating my improved handle;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the handle;

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the handle' erally a vacuum cleaner unit connected to acleaning tool I I by meansof a flexible hose I2 and a substantially rigid tubular member I3. In normal use, the cleaning tool II ismoved over the surface being 4cleaned by means oi substantially rigid tubular member I3. When it is desired to clean a, surface which cannot be reached simply by moving the cleaning tool Il, a pull on the iiexible hose I2 will move the vacuum cleaner unit I0 in the desired direction, so that the cleaning tool II will reach the surface to be cleaned. The cleaner unit I8 is supported by means ot sleighs I4, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, which serve to support thecleaner unit II. y

on a substantially horizontal surface I5.

However, when it is D For carrying the cleaner unit Ill from one room to another or for moving it a relatively great distance. a handle I8 is provided and secured to the casing I1 of unit vIII'. When not-in use the handle I8 rests in a substantially horizontal position close to the surface of the casing Il. When it is desired to lift the cleaner unit Ill, the handle I6 is grasped Vby inserting the ngers between the casing I'I and the handle I6. As the handle I8 is grasped and moved upwardly the front sliding pivot, shown at the left in Fig. 3, moves toward the rear providing ample space between the cas; ing I1 and the handle I6 for the hand grasping the handle. The sliding pivotal connection for the handle I6 is provided by a pivot pin I8 secured to the front end of the handle IB engaging horizontal slots I8 provided in a bracket 20 secured to casing I1. Bracket 20 is formed of U-shape withthe slots I8 located in the spaced arms 2|. 'I'he ends 22 of the arms 2| are bent outwardly at right angles to the remainder of thearms to provide greater rigidity and strength to the arms and also to serve as spacers aswill be pointed out below. Formed integrally with the bracket 20 is a retainer 23. Retainer 23 is of U-shape with a top aperture 24 and two depending side lugs 25. The two arms of the U-shaped retainer 23 and the lugs 25 form a socket for receiving a square nut 26. Bracket 2li is secured to casing I1 preferably by welding along the bottom of the U-shaped bracket between the arms 2| and along a iiange 2l formed at `the front of the retainer .23 shown. at the left in Fig. 3. The nut 26 is inserted in the retainer 23 before the bracket 20 is secured to casing I1. Pivot pin I8 is carried in a depending" lug 28 formed integrally with the body of the handle I6.

lThe xed pivot for the rear of handle I6, shown at the rlghtin Fig. 3, is formed by means of the pivot pin 28 carried by handle I6 and journalled in ears 30 which are formed integrally with a rear end ring 3| secured to casing Il. Pivot pin 28 is carried in a depending lug 32 which is formed integrally with rthe body of handle I6. Handle I6 is formed of flexible material and as it is grasped for lifting the cleaner unit lli, the pivot pin I8 slides rearwardly in slots I8 until it reaches the end of the slots, the handle I6 is then held in an arched form until the unit I0 again rests on a supporting surface. When the handle I8 is released it returns to its normal horizontal position with the pin I8 stopped at the left end of the slot I8. v

sov

In assembling the handle I6- to the vacuum cleaner unit III, the pin I8 is inserted in the depending lug 28 of handle I6 and then into the slots I9 of bracket 20. The pivot pin 29 is inserted through openings of ears 36 and through the opening provided in the depending lug 32.

For enclosing the sliding pivotal connection oi? handle I6 and to prevent the pin I8 from falling out, a cover plate 33 is provided with rearwardly extending arms 34 which surround the sides of the front end of handle I6 and bracket 20. Cover plate 33 lis secured to casing I1 by means of a clip 35 and a bolt 36 in threaded engagement with nut 26 carried in retainer 23. A transverse strap 31 of T-shape. is within the cover plate 33 and the top of the T engages clip 35. In assembling the cover plate 33 to the casing I1 after the handle I6 has been secured thereto the cover plate is positioned and the strapv 31 is slid under the raised end of clip 35 and bolt 36 is passed 'through an aperture 38 in the cover plate registering with aperture 24 and threaded into engagementwith nut 26. The ends 22 of arms 2i serve to space apart the two arms 34 of cover plate 33. A forwardly projecting lip 39 formed integrally with the handle I6 overlies the bolt 36 when the handle I6 is in the normal horizontal position. For securing the cover plate 33 to the casing I1 or removing it therefrom, it is necessary to arch the handle I6 so that the lip 39 is moved rearwardly to uncover the bolt 36. By this arrangement the securing means for the front end of the handle is covered by the cover plate 33 and the securing means for the cover plate 33 is covered by the projecting lip 39 of the handle when in its normal position.

Secured to the rear of casing I1 is a housing 40 carrying a foot-operated switch 4I. A switch cover 42 also carried by housing 40 has forwardly extending arms 43 surrounding two sides of the fixed pivot of the rear of handle I6. As best indicated in Fig. 7, the arms 43 extend along the sides of ears 30 and cover the ends of pivot pin 29y limiting the transverse movement of the pin and preventing its falling out. In the assembly of the unit I0, the housing 40 is secured to the casing I1 after the handle I6 has been secured thereto. The rear end of handle I6 ,is formed with an inclined wall 44 to permit clearance for the top end of handle I6, when it is arched upwardly for lifting the cleaner unit I6.

The cover plate 33 is formed with a top-arched surface 45 which extends from the casing I1 to substantially the top of handle I6. The top surface 46 of switch cover 42 is at and located in substantially the same plane as the top of handle I6. The'cornbination of the arched top surface 35 of cover plate 33 and the top surface 46 of switch cover 42 forms togetherwith the handle I6 a .smooth substantially continuous surface, when the handle is in its normal horizontal lposi-- tion, without any projecting sharp edges or corners. This is advantageous in protecting. the handle and also in insuring a smooth surface without sharp edges which might damage or mark furniture with which the cleaner comes in contact.

What I claim is: y

1. A device of the character described vfor at tachment' to thev outside surface of a body to be carried comprising a handle, a pin carried by said handle and journalled in ears extending from said surface, a bracket secured to said surface having longitudinally extending slots, a pin carried by said handle loosely engaging said slots, a cover secured to said surface having arms extending along the sides of said first-mentioned pin, a plate secured to said surface adjacent said bracket having arms covering the sides of said bracket and preventing transverse movement of said last-mentioned pin, a bolt securing said lastnamed plate to said surface, and a lip integral with said handle overlying said bolt.

2. A device of the character described for atv tachment to the youtside surface of a body to be carried comprising a handle, a pin carried by said handle and pivotally secured to vsaid-surface, a bracket secured to said surface having upstanding ears with longitudinally extendingv slots, a pin carried by said handle loosely engaging said slots, a retainer securedA to said surface between said upstanding ears, a nut located in said retainer, a'

clip secured to`said surface adjacent said bracket, a cover plate having larms extending along the sides of said bracket to cover said bracket and' prevent end-wise movement of said last-mentioned pin, a transverse strap secured to said cover plate engaging said clip, a bolt passing y through an opening in said cover plate in threaded engagement with said nut, and a lip formed integrally with said handle and overlying saidv face, a bracket secured to said surface having upstanding ears with longitudinally extending slots, a pin carried by said handle engaging said slots, a clip secured to said surface adjacent said bracket, a cover plate positioned adjacent the end of said handle having arms extending along the sides of said handle at one end in covering relation to said slots in said bracket, and a transverse strap secured to said cover plate and engaging said clip.

4. A device of the character set forth for attachment to a casing to be carried comprising a handle, a pivot pin carried by said handle and journalled in upstanding ears of said casing, a bracket secured to said casing and having longitudinally extending slots, a pin carried by said handle and engaging said slots, a cover plate secured to said casing having arms extending along the sides of rsaid ears, a retainer secured to said casing adjacent said bracket, a nut located in said retainer, a second cover plate secured to said casing adjacent said handle having arms extending along the sides of said handle in coveringrelation to said slots-in said bracket, and a bolt extending through an opening in said cover plate in threaded engagement with said nut for securing said cover plate to said casing.

5. A device of the character set forth for attachment to a casing to be carried comprising a handle, a pin carried byone end of said handle and pivotally secured to said casing, a bracket secured to said casing having upstanding ears with longitudinal slots and a retainer, a pin carried by the other end of said handle engaging loosely in said slots, a nut located in said retainer, a clip secured to said casing adjacent said bracket, a hollow cover plate secured to said casing ady jacent said bracket and having. arms extending along the sides of said handle and in covering relation to said slots in said bracket, a transverse strap secured within said cover plate and engaging said clip, a bolt passing throughan open-v Ins bracket secured to the top of said casing, a clip secured to the top of said casing adjacent said bracket, upstanding ears spaced longitudinally of the casing from said bracket, a handle, means for securing one end of said handle to said bracket, means to secure the other end of said handle to said upstanding ears, a cover engaging said clip and removably secured to said bracket and covering said bracket, a portion of said handle ing means.

overlying said cover securing means, and a second cover secured to said casing having a portion -covering said means for securing saidhandle to CHARLES L. BROWN, JR. 

